Dental Demand and Public Oral Health. Executive Summary and Final Report

摘要

The practice patterns of dental health providers and underlying differences inpatient need are thought to be important sources of variations in service rates. To control for variation in patient need, dentist service rates were calculated for 200 general dentists based on a homogenous, well-educated, middle-upper class population of patients. Wide variations in the rates for many dental services were detected. Under-treatment of adult patients likely occurred in practices with the lowest expenditures per patient. Practice characteristics, the dentist's practice style, and nonprice competition in the dental market had an important influence on the treatments that patients received. Treatments may also vary because of differences in clinical decision making. Experienced dentists placed greater emphasis on technical rather than patient factors in forming their treatment recommendations. However, dentists who believed patients should participate in clinical decisions had lower rates for some services.